This week I decided it was time for Desi to learn to neck-rein. All my personal horses learn how, I think it is a very important tool. (dressage riders read: outside rein) If my horse doesn't neck rein then I can't REALLY keep thier shoulders up, side-pass, pivot, etc. So I started with getting her to opend up her shoulders.
When I open my right rein I put my outside leg on, I time my "pulls" with her inside front leg. So when she picks her foot up off the ground I lift my rein and pull out. I keep doing this with my outside leg applying similar pressure until the leg goes OVER and not straight. I have been working on this for a while now as part of our warm-up/cool-down and recently started laying my outside rein on her neck. She will now half way neck rein. She doesn't have power steering but I can get a halfway decent circle and can put her back on the rail with the lift of a rein. YAY
Then we had to work on her GO! I refuse to ride a horse I have to kick. Desi is content with a certain level of pressure, she will just tollerate it. I want that to STOP. I want her to get AWAY from any pressure.
For the past few nights I have been riding her in a loping hackamore. It has a braided noseband but is made from grass and has LONG split grass reins. After we warmed up I would ask her to trot with my seat, if I didn't get a response then I touched her with my calves, if I didn't get a response then I would RAPIDLY over/under her with the end of those reins....she started to really JUMP into the trot and started paying attention. She is still confused in the middle of the arena....she really relies on that rail. Last night I went to ask her with my calves and she quickly picked up a very nice trot. We worked on shoulders and hips, and more shoulders last night. We would trot and then quickly stop....pivot towards the rail moving her heavy shoulders over....and then trot off.
Things were going so well I decided it was time to canter.....Desi isn't a horse she is a great dane puppy that flops around. It was horrible! She has a big stride but wasn't confident so every stride felt like she was going to stop. Looks like we are going to spend a LOT of time loping!
Hopefully I can get someone to take pictures on Sunday. It is dark when I ride and I'm off to Clinton, NC tonight and tomorrow.
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5 comments:
sounds like she is doing great. I too hate having a horse I have to kick. Like Kate says, when you ask, the horse should say "yes ma'am". I sometimes have to remind Mandros to jump into the trot, instead of piddle around and then trot.
Interesting...I like your detailed description, and I had to laugh when I pictured you over-undering her with the reins!!! Too funny, but at least it's effective.
I wonder what she's thinking of boot camp so far. :)
Yay! Neck-reining!
In your second paragraph...which leg is outside? I am feeling quite dense (headache), and thought I would ask since I am having a hard time following. Sorry! It sounds like she is doing great though!
Christie, If I want her shoulders to go right I use my left leg. So right hand left leg, left hand right leg.
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